Gene Rozenboom bought this property in Portland, Oregon 14 years ago to find soil from an unstable backyard slope pressed against the siding and a yard choked with weeds and scraggly trees. He cleared dead and diseased vegetation, including thickets of thorny hawthorn, before installing the hardscape that would shape the final garden. The first major structure was the stone wall, followed by the deck and walkways, which allowed him to focus his planting efforts on the plants he loves most: dwarf conifers and Japanese maples.
Designing With Conifers and Maples
Because the slope was steep, Gene placed most of his conifers there. Their neat growth habit requires minimal maintenance, and keeping them at eye level lets visitors easily spot their distinctive cones and needle patterns. Walking down the sidewalk, one can run a hand through the soft needles of the upright ‘Palouse’ mugo pine, while a dwarf mountain hemlock nearby has dense, almost prickly foliage.
Gene collects dwarf and miniature varieties and warns that while they look small when purchased, they eventually reach a specific size—usually determined by the height and width at ten years of age. Even these slow-growers, which increase by only one to six inches annually, can become a problem in the wrong location over a lifespan of thirty to fifty years.
Gene placed the weeping ‘Ryusen’ maple near the top of the slope, where its draping habit acts as a ground cover. The large, lace-leafed ‘Tobiosho’ anchors the front yard, balancing the modern two-story home and softening the approach. ‘Arakawa’ sits next to the front door, offering textured, cork-like bark in winter and lacy green leaves that turn yellow-gold and red in autumn. Gene prefers the spring display, when ‘Shirazz’ shows purple-red foliage with a pink edge, ‘Amber Ghost’ boasts pink-peach leaves for weeks, ‘Iijima sunago’ leafs out pink-red and matures to brick red, and ‘Autumn Moon’ remains orange-red from spring through frost.
After the stone wall and walkway were complete, Gene leveled the area above for a sunnier section of the garden. This spot has been used for vegetables and cut flowers. The deck has a cable railing, and low containers of Japanese maples and annuals divide the “rooms” without blocking views.
The side yard used to be filled with trees until a big storm swept through several years ago and knocked most of them down. Gene saw this as an opportunity to try something new and has curated a collection of sun-loving annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses. His goal is to create a more natural appearance in these borders but still maintain some order and structure. He’s enjoyed working with a different palette of plants and is experimenting a bit to see which ones will work best.
Outdoor Living and Structure
Follow the sidewalk along the back of the house, and you will reach the spot where the path arches around the deck. The cable railing makes the newest side yard garden easy to see from inside. The deck provides space for outdoor living. Guests can enjoy a cup of coffee and listen to the birds in this space. Gene’s garden is now a beautiful and peaceful space, filled with the plants he loves, and providing a perfect spot to relax and enjoy nature.